Paracetamol use during pregnancy not linked to autism or ADHD: Study

A major Lancet meta-analysis of 43 studies has found no evidence linking paracetamol use during pregnancy to autism, ADHD or intellectual disability in children, reinforcing global medical guidance and countering recent claims questioning the drug’s safety.

New Delhi: Mother’s intake of paracetamol during pregnancy does not raise the risk of autism, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and intellectual disability in children, according to a new study on Saturday, which further refutes claims made by US President Donald Trump about the common painkiller.

Speaking at a White House event in September, Trump had called on mothers-to-be to “tough it out” rather than take acetaminophen (also known as paracetamol) — the main ingredient in Tylenol.

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Paracetamol, or acetaminophen, is the most commonly used analgesic and antipyretic during pregnancy, recommended globally as a first-line option for pain relief and fever reduction. Its safety profile is generally more favourable than that of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and opioids, making it the preferred choice in obstetric care. The pill is also included on the WHO List of Essential Medicines.

The systematic review and meta-analysis, based on 43 studies and published in the journal The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology, & Women’s Health, supported existing recommendations on the safety of paracetamol in pregnancy.

“This systematic review and meta-analysis found no evidence that maternal paracetamol use during pregnancy increases the risk of autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, or intellectual disability among children. The null findings remained consistent when analyses were harmonised to studies with longer follow-up, those employing sibling comparisons, and those at low risk of bias,” said corresponding author Prof Asma Khalil, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at St George’s University Hospitals, UK.

The researchers, including those from the UK, Italy, and Sweden, clarified that previously reported associations in conventional observational studies are likely to reflect residual confounding from maternal illness, fever, genetic susceptibility, or environmental factors rather than a causal effect of paracetamol.

“Avoiding paracetamol might expose mothers and foetuses to the risks associated with untreated pain and fever, such as miscarriage, preterm birth, or congenital defects,” they noted.

Other global regulatory agencies such as the European Medicines Agency, the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, and Health Canada also support the safety profile of paracetamol.